


The Last Ones

by theredarmada



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, adrienette - Freeform, ladrien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-06-08 10:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6851788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theredarmada/pseuds/theredarmada
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a fashion trend among the classmates causes Marinette and Adrien to realize that they're the only two in class who haven't been akumatized, they each go out of their way to prevent their final classmate from being victimized by Hawkmoth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this fic I'm going on the assumption that Ladybug and Chat Noir cannot be akumatized.

It started with Alya. 

Instead of her regular plaid, Alya came into class one day in a black t-shirt with a pale purple wifi logo. 

Marinette was concerned. “Why would you want to dress the way you did when you fought against Ladybug?” she asked, “aren't you her biggest fan?”

“Well of course I am,” Alya replied, “but it's an homage to all the times Ladybug has saved us. If everyone remembered their villain form, we'd all realize how much we owe to Ladybug and Chat Noir, not only as Parisians but as individuals. Besides,” she gestured to her shirt, “it's perfect for me, is it not?” 

* * * 

Nino was next. He swapped his usual blue shirt for a red, blue, and yellow one with bold horizontal stripes and a circle design in the middle. 

Adrien didn't know how to respond. He just gave Nino a questioning look. 

“It was Alya's idea,” Nino explained, “she's right. We should remember everything Ladybug and Chat Noir have done for us.” 

Adrien smiled at the kind sentiment. 

* * * 

It wasn't long before everyone picked up on the trend. 

Juleka traded her usual dreary clothing for a bright pink dress (borrowed from Rose). 

Rose borrowed a black top from Juleka and paired it with black shorts with pink pinstripes. 

Alix was more than willing to dress like Timebreaker, but was told she couldn't wear a helmet in class. She continued to wear the green and black shirt with the hourglass logo, however. 

Kim found a red shirt and drew a broken heart on it in sharpie. A+ effort, Kim. 

Mylene wore purple and blue with Ivan's pin, but there wasn't much else she could do. 

Nathanael went all out. He ruffled up his hair, wore a purple beret, and hand painted a perfect replica of his costume as the Evillustrator. He said absolutely nothing about it and blushed violently whenever anyone complimented him on it. 

Max wore black with green stripes but was told to put the butterfly glasses away. 

With the help of Nathanael, Ivan painted his shoulder pads to look like rocks. 

Even Lila wore her fox necklace, “for Chat Noir.” 

Chloe prided herself on being better than everyone else, saying that as Ladybug's most prestigious fan, she would never disrespect her by dressing as Anti Bug. “It's a disgrace that any of you think Ladybug would approve of this nonsense,” she huffed, sticking her nose into the air. 

Sabrina quietly removed a sparkly red headband from her hair and hid it away in her backpack as Chloe spoke. 

* * * 

“Where's your costume, bro?” Nino asked Adrien one morning as his best friend approached the steps of the school. 

“And where's yours?” Alya asked Marinette as she ran up to the school a second before the bell rang. 

Adrien and Marinette glanced at each other and then back at their best friends as the four of them turned to walk inside together. 

Marinette stammered, “I-- well-- I don't remember what I looked like,” she lied quickly, “nobody does. And nobody was around to record it. All I remember is wondering why I was on a roof with Ladybug and Chat Noir.” 

Adrien's brow furrowed. He couldn't remember ever fighting Marinette. But he had fought so many akumas, it was possible that he simply forgot. No, that was impossible. He remembered fighting every single one of his classmates; there was no way he could forget Marinette. She was lying, and a small part of him wanted to know why. But he didn't mind borrowing her excuse. 

“Yeah, same,” he laughed, shrugging it off. 

Marinette didn't have to search her mind to know that he was lying. Sure, she and Chat had fought countless villains since becoming the saviors of Paris, but if Adrien had been at a single one of those battles she'd know it. It was _Adrien,_ after all. He was unmistakable. But why was he lying?

“Impossible!” Alya shouted, taking her phone out of her pocket and scrambling through it, “I've recorded every single akuma victim on my blog. If you've really been victimized, it'll be on here!” 

They entered the classroom and Alya and Nino took their seats, Alya stumbling on the way because her face was in her phone. 

“Adrikins!” Chloe's high pitched screach greeted them as they came through the door. “I'm glad to see that we're the only two who find these costumes absolutely ridiculous! What would Ladybug think of such disrespect!” she placed the back of her hand on her forehead and dramatically fell backwards into Adrien's arms. He righted her and quickly stepped away. 

“Actually, Chloe, Marinette's not wearing a costume either,” Adrien took Marinette by the arm and pulled her between him and Chloe like a human shield. 

“Well who cares about Marinette,” Chloe scoffed, “she can't have a costume because Ladybug wouldn't even bother fighting _her._ ” 

Adrien looked at Marinette with concern, but Marinette just exasperatedly rolled her eyes, wriggled out of his grasp, and went to take her seat. Her irritation with Chloe reminded him of his spotted partner, and he smiled at the thought. 

“Settle down, class, the lecture is about to begin,” Madame Bustier silenced the class and they all took their seats. 

* * * 

“I knew it!” Alya shouted in Marinette's ear as they exited the classroom behind Nino and Adrien. 

“Knew what?” Marinette tried to sound innocent. 

Alya grabbed Adrien by the collar of his shirt and dragged him back to her. “You're both lying,” she announced, “neither one of you has been akumatized.” 

“So what?” Marinette replied, trying to remain calm, “lots of people haven't. It's not like we're the last two people in Paris who haven't been attacked by haunted butterflies, or whatever they are.” 

“But you _are_ the only two left in our class who haven't,” Alya said, “and our class has experienced an oddly high number of akuma encounters. On average, the other classes at our school are akumatized at a rate of only 22.6 percent. Our class will soon hit one hundred, unless there's any reason why it _can't,_ ” Alya gave Marinette a pointed look. 

“Pssht, that's ridiculous,” Adrien couldn't help blurting out. “There's no reason why I – or Marinette, of course – couldn't be akumatized. In fact, we probably will be sooner or later, isn't that right, Marinette?” 

Marinette didn't know why Adrien was being so weird about this, but a way out of this conversation was being handed to her on a silver platter. Wouldn't she be foolish not to take it? “Yeah, for sure!” she added a little too passionately, “One more comment from Chloe could send me off the rails at any moment, so watch out!” she suppressed a giggle.

Adrien looked at Marinette and something clicked inside his head. Nearly every single one of his classmates had been victimized by Hawkmoth. A disproportionately high amount of akuma victims had been in his own class, so close to his everyday life. Hawkmoth was getting suspiciously close to his true identity. Did he know? Adrien couldn't dwell on that. But here was his final classmate, the only one left who hadn't been turned into a villain and forced to do Hawkmoth's bidding, talking about how easy it would be for her to fall under his influence. A surge of emotion flared up in his chest, a deep need to protect her, to prevent that from happening. Besides, she was the last line of defense between him and suspicion about him being Chat Noir. With the two of them it wasn't as obvious, but what would happen when he was the last person in class to be turned, and in fact was never turned? Alya and Hawkmoth would figure it out in a heartbeat and the media wouldn't be far behind.

He had to protect Marinette at all costs and keep her happy to save his identity from being revealed. Bur first he needed his own excuse. 

“Yeah, uh, and you know how strict my father can be,” Adrien chucked, “the first B grade I bring home will probably turn me into a villain.” 

“Alright, alright, you've convinced me,” Alya laughed, “I gotta run, see you two tomorrow!” 

Adrien and Marinette stood side-by-side as they watched Alya run out of the school building. 

“So, you're the last one who hasn't been akumatized,” Adrien mumbled under his breath. 

Marinette jumped slightly, but regained her composure almost immediately. “You mean _we're_ the last _two,_ ” she corrected. 

“Of course,” Adrien scratched the back of his head self-consciously.

“Right,” Marinette looked uncomfortable. Why did she always look so uncomfortable around him? “So I gotta...” she took a comically large stride away from Adrien. 

“Wait,” Adrien grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him.

Marinette's face went scarlet but she said nothing, she just stared at Adrien uncomfortably. Seriously, what did he do to her? 

Adrien dropped her hand and tried to laugh away the awkwardness. “So... we're the last two in class who haven't been akumatized,” he reiterated. 

They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, neither of them really sure how to check on the other's well being and avoid speculation. 

“So did you mean--” they said in unison. 

“Sorry, you go first,” they spoke together, again. 

Another long pause. 

Adrien cleared his throat. “So did you mean all those things you said about Chloe? Could she really cause you to fall under Hawkmoth's influence?” 

Marinette's heart seized up. Should she keep up the lie and worry Adrien unnecessarily to conceal her identity? Yes, that was the only way to stay safe. 

“I wouldn't worry about that too much,” Marinette said. _Wait, what? Why did I say that?_ she thought, her eyes going wide as she realized her error. 

Adrien wanted to believe her, but the frightened look on her face told him that he _should_ be worried. Chloe had caused several akumas before and Adrien couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't do it again, but he could make sure that Marinette wasn't one of her victims. He put a hand on her shoulder. 

“Um, actually, I was wondering the same about you,” Marinette said. “Did you mean what you said about your father? Would he really be so cold to you?” 

“You haven't met my father,” Adrien sighed. 

She had. It wasn't pleasant. 

“But would you really...” Marinette's voice trailed off, big eyes looking curiously into his own. 

He didn't know what to say. The last thing he wanted to do was worry his friend, but Marinette was smart. He could see her making the connection if he answered honestly with the confidence of Chat Noir. He settled for a response befitting mild-mannered Adrien, wishing he could explore the no-man's-land between the two. “I don't know,” he murmured, staring off into the distance, “stronger people than me have fallen under Hawkmoth's influence. There's no reason why I couldn't.” 

That wasn't exactly the response Marinette had been looking for. She felt defeated. 

Marinette's devastated look hurt Adrien. If she felt any negative emotions, she could be the next akuma victim. He needed to say something to stop that from happening. He took her hands in his and looked directly into her eyes. 

“Just stay positive,” they both said at once. 

_What?_

“What I mean is, I'm here for you,” Adrien said. 

“And I – I – I...” Marinette stuttered, “same,” she breathed. 

Adrien's car pulled up and he let go of Marinette's hands. “I gotta go,” he said as he trudged over to it. 

Marinette waved at him, a little too stunned to say anything, before walking back home. 

* * * 

Marinette closed the trapdoor to her room and opened up her purse, letting her kwami out. “We're in serious trouble, Tikki,” she whispered. 

“I'll say,” Tikki replied. “Adrien seemed very sad. Hawkmoth could akumatize him at any minute!” 

“Then Ladybug had better be prepared,” Marinette sighed. 

“Well, there is another option,” Tikki said coyly. 

Intrigued, Marinette tilted her head to the side. 

“Adrien seemed upset when he was talking to _Marinette,_ but what if he heard some encouraging words from _Ladybug?_ ”

“Are you saying I should visit Adrien as Ladybug? That didn't exactly go well last time,” Marinette thought back to when she protected Adrien and his father from the villain Jackady in their home. She had stuttered, blushed, and acted way too much like Marinette when she was supposed to be Ladybug. “I don't know if that's a good idea, Tikki.” 

Tikki smiled knowingly, “But Marinette, Adrien trusted Ladybug with his _life,_ and he seemed to really admire you. Just drop by and talk to him. Knowing that Ladybug believes in him could be just the thing that Adrien needs to prevent him from being Hawkmoth's next victim!” 

“Alright,” Marinette agreed, “he has Mandarin lessons right after school but I'll visit him tonight.” 

* * * 

“So hungry!” 

Plagg flew out of Adrien's shirt and flopped dramatically onto the bed. Adrien grabbed a piece of Camembert from his stash and tossed it to his kwami. Plagg ate the entire thing in one gulp. “Your Mandarin tutor really doesn't know when to shut up.” 

Without replying, Adrien sat on his bed and looked forlorn. 

“What's the matter?” Plagg asked, “still thinking about that girl from your class?” 

“Marinette,” Adrien sighed, “I'm worried that something bad will happen to her.” 

“If you're so concerned, why don't you just pay her a visit?” Plagg asked. 

Adrien looked out the window, where the sun was dipping below the horizon. “You know my father would never let me out alone at this time of night.” 

“Good point,” Plagg yawned, “let's just forget about it and go to bed, then.” 

“Unless,” Adrien smiled. 

“Oh no,” Plagg said. 

“Marinette seemed to think _Chat Noir_ was pretty cool when I let her help fight the Evillustrator. I bet she would love a visit from her favorite super hero,” Adrien smirked. 

“Ugh,” Plagg groaned. 

“Plagg, transform me!”

* * * 

Marinette stepped out onto the balcony and quietly closed the trapdoor leading back to her room. Tikki buzzed around in front of her, ready for her signal. Marinette glanced westward, the setting sun illuminating her bluebell eyes. She scanned the surrounding area, making sure nobody would see her transform. 

“Tikki--” 

“Why hello there, princess.” 

“Aah!” Marinette jumped, her limbs flailing. Tikki hid in her jacket. 

Chat Noir sat cross-legged on the ledge behind Marinette and waved at her. 

“What the h--” Marinette gulped, “I- I mean, wow, you're Chat Noir!” 

“That I am, little lady,” he replied, flicking his hair out of his face. 

Marinette resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She walked over to him and tried her best to seem innocent but eager. “Is there something wrong? Can I help?” 

Chat chuckled. “Slow down, princess, leave the heroism to the professionals.” 

Not able to resist this time, Marinette turned away to roll her eyes. 

With a gentle hand, Chat delicately drew her back to him. “I was just in the neighborhood,” he said casually, “I saw you up here and I thought I'd come say hello.” 

“Well, um, hi,” Marinette stammered, “not to be rude, but don't you have a city to save?” 

“It's a quiet night,” Chat assured her, “and if something comes up I'm sure LB has it covered.” 

_Not while you're here,_ Marinette thought. “That's a relief,” she said instead, “so, what's up?”

“Remember when I saved you from the Evillustrator and I said you could thank me later?” He flexed, his muscles rippling under his leather costume, “well, it's later.” He leaned in toward her and wriggled his eyebrows beneath the mask. 

Marinette groaned internally and ignored him. What business did Chat Noir have flirting with every girl in Paris, then insisting to Ladybug that they're somehow meant to be? Come to think of it, Marinette couldn't recall a time when Chat flirted with anyone but her, but the fact that he did it with her as both Marinette and Ladybug was infuriating. But it did give her an idea on how to get rid of him. 

“Wouldn't Ladybug be upset if she knew you were visiting another girl on her balcony?” Marinette looked at him pointedly. She hoped he'd fabricate some romance between himself and Ladybug –showboating, as usual, as if he really had romantic feelings for Ladybug – and leave her alone so she could go talk to Adrien. She looked impatiently to the west, where the last vestiges of sunlight were giving way to the night. 

But Chat Noir sighed, a heavy sigh filled with emotion that Marinette had only seen on rare occasions. “Ladybug doesn't care what I do,” he murmured, mostly to himself. 

“That's not true,” Marinette said a little too confidently, thrown by his sudden show of emotion. She sat beside him and put a comforting hand on his knee. “You and Ladybug are partners. She cares about you even when you're not together, I'm sure of it.” 

Chat shook his head sadly. “Ladybug and I have a professional relationship, nothing more. She doesn't want to get to know who I am behind the mask.” 

Marinette gave him a pained look. “I'm sure she'd love to get to know you if she could, but wouldn't revealing your identities be dangerous?” 

“I suppose it could be,” Chat agreed reluctantly, “but it would be nice to get to know her better.” 

_If only you knew, chaton,_ Marinette mused. She tilted her head to the side and asked, “why are you telling me this?” 

“I don't know,” Chat shrugged, “I just feel like I can trust you. Do you trust me?” he asked. He gave Marinette a sidelong glance. 

“With my life,” Marinette replied quickly and without thinking. 

Chat Noir was enjoying the front row view of the friendly, confident, and reassuring Marinette he usually saw interact with other people. He found it a little disheartening that she seemed more comfortable with his feline alter ego than with Adrien. 

“I – I mean, because you're a super hero and you save lives all the time and stuff and you helped me out that one time with Nathanael but like no reason in _particular,_ you know?” Marinette said all in one breath, talking mostly with her hands. _There_ was the Marinette he knew. Chat smiled fondly to himself. 

“So... that's a yes?” he asked, amused. 

Marinette nodded, a knowing sparkle in her eyes. 

“Then believe me when I say I'm here for you, Marinette,” Chat said, taking one of her hands in his. 

“Uh, thanks, Chat Noir, but... why?” Marinette shifted nervously in her seat but didn't retract her hand. 

Chat's cheeks went hot and he focused on tracing the lines of Marinette's palm with a gloved thumb. “It's hard to explain but... I care about you,” he rose to his feet and gently kissed her knuckles, “if anything goes wrong in your life, just know you can count on me.” He extended his baton and smiled back at her. 

Chat Noir vaulted off into the moonlight. 

“I always do,” Marinette murmured to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Tikki came out of Marinette's jacket. “How funny is it that Chat came to check on you the same night you planned to check on Adrien?” 

“Oh no, Adrien!” Marinette exclaimed. The sun had fully set and the moon was climbing in the sky. “That dumb cat, why did he have to visit me tonight of all nights? He took up all the time I could have been spending with Adrien. Do you think it's too late?” 

Tikki smiled, “go visit him, Marinette. It's not that late and Adrien will probably be happy to see you.” 

“Okay,” Marinette breathed. She cast a careful eye over the perimeter, making sure that this time she was truly alone. “Tikki, transform me!” 

* * * 

Chat Noir swung in through his bedroom window and detransformed. He hoped that his words had gotten through to Marinette the same way hers had with him. He felt more confident than ever that Ladybug did care about him. She may not feel the same way yet, but it was a start. 

“I am _famished,_ ” Plagg interrupted his thoughts. 

“You know where my stash is,” Adrien replied. “You can have _one_ piece. I'm going to take a shower.” Plagg escaped into Adrien's Camembert stash while Adrien disrobed and made his way to the bathroom. 

Adrien was halfway through singing Jagged Stone's latest hit into a bottle of shampoo when he heard something bang against the doors to his shower. 

“Adrien, Ladybug is here!” Plagg panted through the glass. 

“What!?!?” Adrien gasped, turning off the shower. “Tell me everything.” 

“I was just eating some Camembert on your bed when Ladybug came in through the open window and --” 

“On my bed?” Adrien shook himself, “wait, no. Did she see you?” 

“No.”

“Is she still here?” 

“I don't know.” 

Adrien turned off the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist, and walked to the bathroom door. 

“Adrien? Adrien?” Ladybug's gentle voice called from the other side. 

Adrien's face went scarlet. Could he use the showering excuse _again?_ It wasn't an excuse this time, but Ladybug still probably thought he was the most high maintenance person in all of Paris. At least she wouldn't think he had poor hygiene. What was she even doing there? And what about his _clothes?_

He had left them on the floor. 

He had left his clothes on the floor in his _bedroom._

He had left his dirty clothes wadded up on the floor of his bedroom, where _Ladybug_ was. 

_Ladybug has probably seen my underwear,_ Adrien realized, a wave of horror overtaking him. 

“Plagg, I need clothes,” he whispered. 

“Oh yeah, what am I supposed to do about it?” Plagg whispered urgently, “don't you think Ladybug would be a _little_ suspicious if she sees a kwami bringing you clothes? Just go out there and get them yourself.” 

“In a towel?” Adrien asked, a little too loud. 

“Adrien?” Ladybug's voice was closer this time, “did you say something?” 

Adrien's heart stopped. “Uh – yeah! I said I'm in a towel.” 

Adrien waited for a reply. 

It didn't come. 

“Uh, Ladybug? Are you still there?” he called through the closed door. 

“Uh – um – y-yes, Adrien,” she paused to take a calming breath. “I'm still here.” 

“I need to get my clothes,” Adrien said. 

“Do you want me to get them for you?” Ladybug's voice was shaky. Adrien wondered why. 

“No!” he shouted. He took a deep breath, “No, um, thank you. Can you just – can you just turn around while I get them?” 

“O-okay,” Ladybug's voice was tight. He could hear her step away from the door. He opened it and clutched the towel around his waist as if his life depended on it. “Just tell me when it's safe to turn around.” 

Adrien stepped cautiously into the bedroom. Ladybug stood rigidly several feet away, facing the opposite wall. Adrien went first to the pile of clothes next to his bed and hid them under his pillow. He prayed she hadn't seen his red and black spotted boxer shorts. 

He had been hoping for a lazy evening of boxers and a t-shirt, but _Ladybug_ was here, so he picked out a set of silky pajamas from his father's line. He faced away from Ladybug, glanced over his shoulder to make sure she wasn't looking, and dropped the towel. Face red as a tomato, Adrien dressed quickly and sat on the edge of his bed. 

“You can...” Adrien cleared his throat, “you can turn around now.” 

Ladybug turned around stiffly but didn't move toward him. Adrien scooted over gingerly and patted the space beside him. Wordlessly, Ladybug lightly perched on the corner of the bed, keeping her distance. 

Adrien's heart sank. Where was his fiery Ladybug? The girl beside him was silent and demure. He was intrigued by this softer side of her. 

He wanted to ask what she was doing in his room after dark. He wanted to know if everything was alright. He wanted to know if she knew him in her daily life. He wanted to know if she cared about him. He was scared of the answers to all of those questions. 

“Hi,” he murmured, giving a little wave. 

“I just wanted to see how you were doing,” Ladybug finally spoke, her cheeks flushed lightly pink. “I didn't mean to come so late, but I was caught up in a thing – not a Ladybug thing, a different thing, don't worry about the thing – and I thought I could make it here anyway but you're clearly settling in for the night so I can go if you wa--” 

“--No, please stay.” 

Now it was Adrien's turn to blush. “I – I mean, last time we saw each other you were busy saving the world and I'm not sure when or if I'll ever get to talk to you again. Please stay.” 

“Okay,” Ladybug said. She slowly moved to sit closer to him, their thighs almost touching. “So... how are you?”

Adrien stared at her, a shy smile forming on his face. It was just beginning to hit him how surreal this was. Ladybug came to see _him._ She cared how he was feeling. She was right beside him, sapphire eyes full of gentle concern and maybe something else, looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her. Not like that was saying much, he swore she got more beautiful every time he saw her. Adrien wondered if that normally happens when you're falling in love. 

“Um... Adrien? I asked how you were, did you hear me?” Ladybug waved a hand in front of his face. 

“Wonderful,” Adrien's mouth danced dreamily around the word, savoring it. 

“Okay,” Ladybug shifted in her seat. “If you're really okay, I guess I'll go then.” 

“No!” Adrien snapped out of his trance and grabbed her hand. He retracted his hand just as quickly, blushing furiously. “Sorry,” he murmured, “I should open up more. It's not an easy thing to do,” he admitted. 

Ladybug nodded, a knowing look in her eye. 

Adrien laid back, propping himself up on his elbows. “It's just, with my modeling and school and...” _Being Chat Noir,_ he thought, “...everything, there's so much pressure. Pressure to do well, to make my father proud, to honor my mother's memory. I feel like there are two sides of me: the person everyone expects me to be and who I really am. I'm afraid eventually I'm going to snap in two.” He collapsed onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. 

With just a moment's hesitation, Ladybug turned on her side and laid down beside him. “I know how you feel,” she said, not sure what else to say. 

Adrien's face grew hot with embarrassment. Here he was, talking to _Ladybug_ about there being two sides of him. “Of course, I didn't realize...”

“It's alright,” Ladybug reassured him, “my situation is a little different.” _Understatement of the century,_ she thought.

Adrien turned on his side to face her. He reached between them and gently stroked the back of her hand, memorizing the smooth feeling of the spandex glove he had kissed a thousand times. If only she knew how similar they really were. He wasn't sure whether he wished he was wearing his mask or that she wasn't. He just wanted to tear down the walls between them and get on the same wavelength. Then, they could both truly understand what they're going through. Once again, he marveled at the girl in front of him. It was dizzying, being this close to the girl he loved, neither of them seeing the whole picture. It was dizzying being this close to her in general. 

He wished time would stop right here, and he could be this close to Ladybug forever. She wasn't resisting, and maybe he was imagining things, but she seemed to be enjoying his presence as much as he was enjoying hers. Tentatively, Adrien reached his hand up to caress her face. He closed his eyes and drew close to her, their breaths intermingling. 

Their lips met for a split second. 

Then, realization hit. 

They sprang apart and sat on opposite sides of the bed, facing away from each other. 

“Sorry,” Adrien said. 

“It's just--” Ladybug breathed. 

“Not like this,” they said together.

They looked over their shoulders and their eyes met briefly before they quickly turned away. 

To Ladybug, it wasn't enough. It was hard to resist the temptation of an Adrien who felt the same way as she did, but she wanted him to feel that way about _Marinette,_ not her mysterious alter ego. 

To Adrien, it was unequal. She didn't know he was her partner, Chat Noir. If she did, she might feel like he was manipulating her. They would never be on a level playing field as long as only one of them wore the mask. He longed for her to take hers off, to let him glimpse her true form if only for a moment. But he knew there was no way Ladybug would share such priceless information with him, no matter how much she wanted to kiss him. When they both wore the masks they were equals. With two masks in between them there may be secrets, but there were no barriers. 

“You should talk to Chat Noir,” Adrien blurted without thinking. 

“What?” 

“Y-you should talk to Chat Noir,” he repeated, “about the whole double life thing. He'll understand how you feel better than any else ever could.” 

“Chat Noir won't want to have a serious conversation,” Ladybug explained as she stood up and walked around to him, shaking her head. “He's all flirting and bad puns. Don't get me wrong, I trust him with my life, but he'd make an awful therapist.” 

Adrien looked up at her, his eyes silently pleading. “I think you should try. If anyone knows what you're going through, it's him.” 

Ladybug sighed. “I suppose you're right,” she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “You should talk to one of your friends. They care about you more than you know.” 

Adrien raised his hand to the cheek that Ladybug had kissed and nodded silently.

“Good night, Adrien,” she whispered, then ran to his open window and disappeared into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Marinette smiled to herself as she watched Adrien from her seat behind him. 

Adrien rested the cheek she had kissed in the hand that held hers and stared, starry-eyed, off into space. Her heart fluttered at the thought that _she_ had made him feel this way. Well, Ladybug had made him feel that way. What if he was disappointed by the girl behind the mask? Not that he could ever find out or anything. Marinette shook her head and pushed the thought aside, forcing herself to pay attention to the rest of the lecture. 

The bell rang and the classroom was a flurry of shuffling papers, zipping backpacks, and stomping feet. 

Adrien pushed Ladybug out of his mind and waited just outside the classroom door, trying to catch Marinette alone. After a moment, she and Alya walked out together. 

“Hey Marinette,” Adrien waved, trying to catch her attention. “Oh-- hi Alya.” 

“Oh look, I gotta go,” Alya winked at Marinette and ran off without her. 

“Alya, wait!” Marinette's wide eyes followed Alya for a second before she turned back to Adrien. “Um, hi- hi Adrien,” she stuttered. 

“So, how are you?” Adrien asked, walking stride-for-stride with Marinette toward the school's entrance. He was as apprehensive about Marinette's wellbeing as he was about asking her about it _again_ when he had just done so twice the previous day. Sure, one of those times had been Chat Noir, but he didn't want to be too obvious. He wondered if that ship had sailed. 

“Amazing,” Marinette mused. “I mean, you're amazing. Ah! I mean, I had an amazing night last night. Not that you were _there_ or anything. I mean, why would you be? That's ridiculous. I had an amazing night without you. Not that it wouldn't have been an amazing night _with_ you, but you were probably busy. I mean, how would I know? I don't, of course. How was your night?” Marinette rambled, talking with her hands as much as her mouth. 

Ladybug swung back into Adrien's mind with the destructive force of a wrecking ball and he smiled gently down at Marinette. “It was... Miraculous. I've never been more in love.” He didn't know why he said it, it just came out. Something about Marinette made him feel comfortable opening up to her. Maybe Ladybug was right about him needing to open up to his friends. 

“Yeah, me too,” Marinette looked up at him, a sweet sadness in her eyes. 

_Wait, what?_ Adrien thought. 

The most memorable part of her night _must_ have been when he visited her balcony. Could Marinette really be in love with Chat Noir? Sure, if Ladybug wasn't around he wouldn't hesitate, but Ladybug was around and they were meant to be together. Besides, if Marinette loved Chat, there was nothing Adrien could do. He couldn't reject her in this form anyway, so he didn't dare ask what she meant. 

Just as they reached the doors to the school, they heard a siren wailing in the distance. Adrien and Marinette both looked sharply in the direction of the sound. 

“Well, it's been nice, but,” Adrien said.

“I gotta go... do my homework!” Marinette exclaimed, running away from him before he could find an excuse. 

Adrien ducked into the boys' restroom and looked around, making sure nobody was there. 

“Plagg, transform me!” 

* * * 

The most remarkable thing about this akuma attack was how fast everything seemed to go. 

Ladybug and Chat Noir met up almost instantly after transforming. 

They trapped the victim, captured the akuma, and reverted Paris back to normal while hardly breaking a sweat. 

Chat Noir talked gently to the victim in the background while Ladybug talked diplomatically to the press, but there wasn't much to talk about and after a couple minutes the two heroes found themselves alone on the banks of the Seine. 

“Hawkmoth was really off his game today,” Chat remarked. Ladybug nodded in agreement. Chat took a deep breath. “Ladybug, can we talk?” 

Ladybug hesitated. The attack was over, and she was about to transform back. Chat had never used his Cataclysm; he had all the time in the world. But hers was limited. She could easily use that as an excuse to escape. But Adrien's voice echoed in her head, urging her to talk to Chat.

Ladybug's earrings beeped. 

Chat's shoulders drooped at the sound, “Right. You can go if you want.” 

“Wait,” Ladybug breathed, “Ten minutes. I'll be right back.” She threw her yo-yo and swung out of sight. 

Chat sat down and swung his legs absentmindedly over the water's edge. The minutes stretched into lifetimes and he wondered if Ladybug would show. He wondered if he wanted her to. Talking to her the night before had been illuminating, for lack of a better term. He hadn't realized before how deep his need for camaraderie really was until he unexpectedly opened up to her as Adrien. And to Marinette as Chat Noir, for that matter. But he needed to talk to the right person, as the right person. Nobody would understand him like Ladybug would. Maybe if she got to know Chat a little better, she'd see in him the same things she clearly liked about Adrien. Maybe... 

“Hey, Chat,” Ladybug greeted, walking up to him. She glowed in the light of the setting sun, and the reverence in Chat's heart must have shown on his face, because she said, “Um... are you feeling okay, _chaton?_ ” 

“Yeah,” he replied, shaking himself. 

Ladybug took a seat beside him on the edge of the river and looked at him expectantly. When he didn't respond she said, “So... what did you want to talk about?” 

_Oh, shit._

Maybe he should have thought about what he was going to say. 

“I'm afraid,” Chat choked out. 

Ladybug gave him a questioning look, silently urging him onward. 

_I'm afraid, what?_ Chat Noir thought, _Well, I'm afraid you might be in love with the wrong side of me. I'm afraid you might be disappointed when you find out who I really am. I'm afraid I'm going to snap under the pressure of being myself and Chat Noir and I'm afraid that I can't do this alone for much longer. I'm afraid of how much I need you, because you'd be way better off without me._

But what he said was, “I'm afraid Hawkmoth might be getting close to finding out my true identity.” 

He didn't realize how much the idea haunted him until he said it aloud. 

He continued, “If I'm saying too much stop me. But my class at school--” 

“You're saying too much,” Ladybug stopped him immediately. 

“I didn't say anything yet,” Chat protested. “Please, Chat Noir is all I have.” Deep down, he knew it was true.

Ladybug sighed. “Chat, we can't find out each other's identities. Tell me your problem, but please don't give anything away.” 

Chat nodded. “So my class at school – a school that I will not name – well, almost everyone in my class has been akumatized. There's one g-- _other person_ and myself left who haven't been yet. I'm afraid that if _this student_ gets akumatized, Hawkmoth might figure out that I'm Chat Noir. Do you think he might be doing it on purpose? Trying to narrow it down by process of elimination? Ladybug?” 

Ladybug didn't respond. She just stared at him, wide eyes filled with fear. “Chat Noir, I think that's exactly what he's doing.” 

“Thanks milady,” Chat laughed bitterly, “has anyone ever told you that you're a great source of comfort and --” 

“Shut up, stupid cat,” Ladybug cuffed him over the shoulder. “I'm saying that because I'm in the same situation. Hawkmoth must be onto both of us. It's too big of a coincidence. What else could it be?” 

Chat's shoulders slumped. “So there's no way around it. Our classmates are going to be akumatized no matter what we do.” His voice was hollow as he spoke. 

Ladybug shot up onto her feet. “How can you say that? How can you just accept the fact that someone close to you is about to be victimized by Hawkmoth? I can't believe you would just let it happen!”

“Relax, bugaboo,” Chat stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her. “People get akumatized all the time and we've never failed to revert them back to normal. My best friend got akumatized and he's fine now.” 

“Mine too, but,” Ladybug looked at him, a deep sadness in her eyes, “but this is different.” 

“You really care about this person, don't you?” 

Ladybug turned bright pink under her mask. “What? I – no – he's just a friend--” she went silent for a moment, then asked, “what about your classmate? Don't you care for them?” 

“Well of course I care about her-- I mean-- oh, forget it,” Chat sighed. “I want her to be my friend but I think she only likes me as Chat Noir.” 

“I know what that's like,” Ladybug nodded in understanding, thinking back to the previous night. 

“Hey, I know what'll calm you down,” Chat said, breaking into her thoughts. “Maybe you should go check on him, just to go see that he's alright. I'll check on my classmate too. We can even meet up right here in say – twenty minutes?” Ladybug nodded, indicating that it would be enough time, “Twenty minutes, and give a full status report. How does that sound?” 

Ladybug smiled, thankful that her partner knew how to calm her down in stressful situations. “See you soon, _chaton,_ ” She said before throwing her yo-yo and swinging out of sight. 

On her way to Adrien's house, Ladybug reflected on how uncharacteristically gently Chat spoke with her. Maybe she could open up to her partner after all. 

Under the cover of night, Ladybug landed on the roof of the Agreste mansion and shimmied down to the scaffolding next to Adrien's massive windows. She knew his routine, and she knew there was nowhere else he could be but right here. So where was he? 

* * * 

Chat Noir waited for Ladybug to disappear from his line of sight before taking off in the direction of Marinette's house. As much as he tried to act tough in front of Ladybug, he was genuinely worried about her. It seemed like lately his whole mind was consumed by Marinette and Ladybug and how much he worried and cared about them both.

Chat landed in the alleyway next to Marinette's house and looked around carefully. Making sure the coast was clear, he detransformed and walked into the bakery. 

“Adrien, my boy!” Marinette's father broke away from the counter to scoop Adrien up in a giant bear hug. “Oh, so skinny!” He set Adrien down and grabbed a tray of croissants. “Please, take as many as you like.” 

Adrien's stomach growled as he stared hungrily at the delicious pastries in front of him. “Thank you, Mr. Dupain-Cheng,” he bowed his head politely as he took one from the tray and ate it in three ravenous bites. 

“Please, call me Tom.” 

“Thank you, Tom,” Adrien said. “I'm actually here for Marinette. Is she home?” 

“I think she might be in her room,” Tom replied, scratching his head. “Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her since this morning. Feel free to go up and check.” 

Adrien nodded his thanks and ascended the staircase to Marinette's room. He knocked on the trapdoor thrice and waited, but there was no response. He knew the polite thing to do would be to leave, but the idea of her absence just made his concern grow stronger. Adrien pushed open the door and climbed into Marinette's bedroom. 

“Marinette?” he called into the empty space. He shut the door behind him. “Marinette?” 

He scanned the room, but quickly determined that she wasn't there. _I better check the roof just to be safe._

As he turned to climb onto the roof, his eyes fell upon her desk, where the Ladybug and Chat Noir dolls she had made were propped up against her sewing machine. He remembered them well – the Puppeteer had used the Chat Noir doll to control him. But the fact that it existed still made him happy. These dolls showed him how much faith Marinette had in Ladybug and Chat Noir. 

Adrien realized that Marinette needed Ladybug and Chat Noir right now, not her polite classmate. He needed to get back to Ladybug. 

Adrien turned away from the roof and climbed down from Marinette's room. He raced out the door, throwing a hasty goodbye to Tom and Sabine over his shoulder, and transformed quickly before vaulting across the city to meet Ladybug at the Seine. 

When he arrived, Ladybug was already waiting for him. 

“My lady?” he exclaimed, surprised. “How did you get here so fast?” 

“He's gone, Chat Noir,” her voice cracked as she spoke. “I looked through every window in his whole stupid house and he was nowhere to be seen. I don't know what to do.” 

Chat Noir pulled Ladybug into a tight hug and whispered into her ear, “He'll come back, bugaboo. My... friend is gone too. Why don't we go look for them together?” 

“No,” Ladybug wriggled out of his grasp, looking up at him with a serious look in her eyes. “No, we can't do that. We'll risk finding out each other's identities.” She patted him on the shoulder and started swinging her yo-yo. “I appreciate it, really. But I think we have to take this step alone. Thanks for listening, Chat Noir.” 

Once again, she threw her yo-yo and disappeared into the night. 

Chat Noir stared after her for a long time, allowing himself to wonder where she went and who she was when she wasn't Ladybug. He shook himself out of it and extended his baton. He knew he couldn't go home tonight, not before he knew Marinette was okay. 

Rapidly, he made his way across the city and back to Marinette's house. Through the windows he could see that her room was still empty. The moon climbed high into the sky as he settled onto the roof across from her house to keep watch – just until she got back. 

* * * 

There was no way Ladybug could go home when Adrien was still out there somewhere. She had to make sure he got home okay. She swung to his neighborhood and dropped stealthily onto his roof. She shimmied down and perched on a ledge next to his vast bedroom windows. Here she would wait until she could ensure that he was safe.


	4. Chapter 4

Dawn broke over the eastern horizon and Ladybug squinted into the morning light. She had watched Adrien's window like a hawk all night, hoping he would come in from a late night of modeling or one of his many other activities. But her eyes never left his bedroom and he never entered it. 

Ladybug sighed and swung back toward her place, hoping to make it there before the city woke up. She had to collect her stuff and get to school. After school was over she would search every inch of the city until she found Adrien. 

* * * 

_She never came home._

The thought played on repeat over and over in Chat's mind as the night wore on, giving way to the morning. 

He just couldn't believe that Marinette never came home. Her parents must have been worried sick. _My father probably didn't even notice,_ he thought bitterly. 

Chat pushed the thought aside and rose to his feet. He needed to get back home in time to be driven to school. He cast one last glance over his shoulder at Marinette's house before stealthily running across the rooftops. He was exhausted, but he couldn't give up. The second he got to school he would enlist Alya's help in finding Marinette. Hopefully she would know something to help aid in his search. 

* * * 

Marinette trudged into the classroom, barely keeping her eyes open enough to find her way to her seat. The adrenaline had finally worn off and she was feeling the full effects of having stayed up all night. She dozed in her chair. 

She was so tired, she didn't even notice Adrien come in. 

He was so tired, he didn't notice that she was already there. He fell into his seat and his forehead promptly met the desk. 

“Whoa, what happened to them?” Nino's voice roused them slightly, but they didn't budge. 

“I don't know,” Alya replied, walking in the room beside Nino. “Yo, Marinette, Adrien!” she slammed her history book on her desk, startling them awake, “what happened to you? Did you get _any_ sleep last night?” 

“Adrien...” Marinette murmured dreamily... “Adrien!” She shot straight up. 

“Marinette!” Adrien's bloodshot eyes widened in disbelief when he turned around and saw Marinette, the girl he had looked out for all night, right behind him in her usual seat. 

They stared at each other for a long moment, the question they could never ask hanging tensely in the air between them: 

_Where were you last night?_

“Um, hel _lo,_ Earth to Marinette and Adrien,” Alya drew their attention. “What happened to you?” 

“Yeah man,” Nino chimed in, “you two look exhausted. What gives?” 

“I was...” Adrien said slowly, trying to buy himself time to think of a way to finish that sentence other than, _looking through Marinette's window all night like a total creep when she's obviously perfectly safe._

“I was working on a new sewing project!” Marinette interjected a little too excitedly. “I was inspired and you know how important it is to strike while the iron is hot. I was up sewing and I guess time just got away from me.” 

Adrien's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked up at Marinette. Her sewing machine had sat untouched in her bedroom all night. So what was Marinette really up to? 

“And I was up studying Mandarin,” Adrien grasped for his own excuse, “my Chinese instructor is testing me after school.” 

Marinette looked sadly down at Adrien. She knew he wasn't in his house the previous night, studying Mandarin or otherwise. She hated being suspicious of him, but she needed to get to the bottom of this for his own good. After school. And, after a nap.

Marinette and Adrien's eyelids drooped as the lecture began. 

* * * 

“Marinette!” Alya shook Marinette's shoulder.

“Wha?” Marinette stirred, looking up at Alya with tired eyes. 

“Class is over, girl,” Alya pulled Marinette to her feet. “Seriously, go home and get some rest.” 

Marinette shook herself awake and followed Alya out of the classroom. She had to get to Adrien and ask him – wait, ask him what? She couldn't exactly let him know she knew he was lying about being home. But maybe he'd tell her the truth if she talked to him alone. 

She spotted Adrien in front of the school, waiting for his car. He looked uncomfortable as Chloe hung on his arm, talking loudly and calling him “Adrikins.” 

“Marinette!” Looking relieved, Adrien pulled himself away from Chloe and ran to meet Marinette at the base of the steps. 

“Hell-- um – lo – um – hi-hi, Adrien,” Marinette stammered. “Sorry, I'm exhausted.” 

Adrien yawned, “me too.” 

They locked eyes for a moment, both trying to figure out how to ask the unaskable. 

“So, um... sewing?” Adrien said casually. 

“Yep,” Marinette replied. 

“So do you have like, a sewing room or something?” Adrien tried giving her the benefit of the doubt; perhaps she was just in another part of the house that he was unaware of. 

“Nope, I just sew in my bedroom,” Marinette said curtly. 

Awkward silence passed between them. 

“So,” Marinette began, looking up at him, “what about--” 

Marinette was interrupted by a loud explosion coming from the center of the city. She stood up straight and felt Adrien stiffen beside her. She looked at him and then back toward the direction of the noise. Whatever was going on with him, it would have to wait. 

“So I'm sure you have plenty of things to do, I won't keep you,” Adrien said before running at a dead sprint away from the school. 

If Marinette could count on anything, it would be easily getting rid of Adrien when there was an akuma attack. _If only Alya were that easy to shake off,_ she thought to herself as she found a secluded place to transform. 

The real challenge that faced her: finding the energy to stay awake during this attack. 

* * * 

“Are you _feline_ alright, milady?” Chat Noir asked. He had just caught Ladybug by the hand, saving her from stumbling off a roof. 

Ladybug rolled her eyes, “I'm fine, Chat Noir. Just a bit tired.” 

A lopsided grin formed on Chat Noir's face. “I could use a cat nap myself. Perhaps after this we can take one together.” 

Ladybug groaned. 

“Sorry,” Chat carried on, “am I _bugging_ you?” 

“There's a lot bugging me, Chat Noir. Get in line,” Ladybug snapped. She immediately regretted it. It wasn't Chat's fault that she had stayed up all night trying to make sure Adrien was safe, just to see him in class like a smug little-- no, it wasn't Adrien's fault either. The longer she went without sleep, the more irate Ladybug became. 

Chat put a hand on her shoulder. “I'm sorry, Ladybug. Wanna talk about it?”  
Ladybug shook her head. “Not now. Let's just capture this Akuma.”   
* * *   
“Bye-bye, little butterfly,” Ladybug said through a yawn, waving listlessly as the white creature floated away. 

Chat Noir came up beside her and put his arm around her. “Well done, milady,” he yawned, resting his cheek on the top of her head. 

Ladybug was too exhausted to wriggle out of his embrace. She leaned into him, her eyelids drooping. “Chat Noir...” she mumbled. 

“Yes, milady?” 

“We need to,” she yawned. “I have something to,” she yawned again, “I need your--” her head fell against his chest. She couldn't stay awake much longer. 

“What we need,” Chat Noir sighed, “Is to rest.” 

Ladybug nodded weakly. 

“Here, let me walk you home.” 

Ladybug found the energy to free herself from him and give him an annoyed look. 

Chat put his palms out in front of him in a defensive gesture. “What? I'm just kidding.” 

Ladybug's earrings beeped. 

“Guess you better get going,” Chat said glumly. 

Ladybug shook herself. She only had a bit of energy left, and she wasn't going to waste it. “Chat, I need your help. Can we meet tonight at sunset? In the same place we met yesterday?” 

“Certainly, milady,” Chat replied, relieved that he didn't have to ask her in her exhaustive state. He needed help finding out what Marinette was up to. They could help each other, tonight at sunset. He felt touched that she trusted him with whatever was going on. 

“Thank you,” Ladybug breathed. Before he could get in another word, she swung away from him. 

Chat had held up well in the fight, but he felt as exhausted as Ladybug had looked. There was no way he could make it through school that afternoon, so he went home for a much needed nap. 

* * * 

Ladybug climbed down from her rooftop balcony and collapsed onto her bed without bothering to detransform. It would wear off in a minute anyway. 

She felt guilty for missing yet another afternoon of classes, but she was absent all the time so it wasn't like anyone would think it unusual. Ladybug heard her earrings give their final warning beep right as she drifted off to sleep. 

* * * 

When Ladybug finally dragged herself to their meeting spot, she was surprised to see Chat waiting for her, slumped over a park bench. She wondered if his night had been as rough as her own. “Hey Chat,” she greeted, jostling his shoulder a bit. 

“Wha...?” Chat lifted his head, his hair more ruffled than normal and his eyes half closed. “Oh, my lady!” He sprung out of his seat and bowed low like a Renaissance footman. “How can I help you on this fine evening?” 

Ladybug rolled her eyes but couldn't fight back a smile. “Chat Noir, this is serious. I need your help.”

He straightened his back and dropped his playful demeanor immediately. “What can I do?” he asked gently. His soft tone was alien but familiar at the same time. Ladybug couldn't place a finger on the warm feeling that was beginning to seep into her heart, so she pushed it aside. 

“Yesterday I told you I didn't want to look for my... friend,” she said awkwardly. “I changed my mind.” 

“What changed?” Chat looked alarmed. “Did something happen? Are you alright?” 

Ladybug shook her head, feeling a tightness in her throat. “It's a long story, but something happened this morning and I'm afraid everything is wrong.” 

She was afraid Chat would press for more detail, but he just nodded in understanding. He thought of Marinette's tired eyes and her excuses and his brows furrowed with concern. “Okay. Would you help me too?” 

“Of course,” Ladybug assured him. 

Chat smiled warmly. “Okay, when did you see him last?” 

“This morning,” Ladybug replied, and to her surprise Chat didn't look confused. “But it's not about that. It's---” She stopped, not sure how to go on. 

“Is everything alright?” Chat asked, his voice full of concern. 

Ladybug's big blue eyes looked up at him woefully. “This is it for us,” she choked out. “We're going to find out who our classmates are, and then we're going to connect the dots somehow. Maybe we already know each other's classmates, or--” _Maybe one of our classmates is, I don't know, a famous model and finding out where they go to school wouldn't be difficult,_ “--something else and we're going to find out who we are and it'll throw off our whole dynamic and we won't be Ladybug and Chat Noir anymore, at least not in the same way we always have been. And I love being Ladybug. I love getting away from life for a while just to fight crime with you. I'm just afraid that whether I save him or not, I'm going to lose what I have here with you.” Ladybug sniffled and her cheeks tinged with pink at the realization that she had just spilled all of her worries to Chat Noir. “Sorry--”

Chat Noir pulled her into a comforting embrace before she could say another word. “Shh,” he soothed her. “It's okay, we'll figure out how to help each other without it coming to that.” As much as he wanted to figure out who she was, he couldn't stand the hurt in her eyes when she thought of how it would impact their team. This life meant as much to her as it did to him and if keeping secrets meant keeping her happy, he would do anything to make that happen. 

Chat pulled back, keeping both hands on Ladybug's shoulders. “Let's split up and check on them,” he insisted, “since we saw them this morning, they may be alright now. Then we'll meet back here and figure out the next step.” 

Ladybug nodded, a hint of a smile returning to her eyes. 

Chat turned away and extended his baton, but Ladybug grabbed his wrist and pulled him back into a brief hug. 

“How did you know exactly what to say?” Ladybug asked.

Chat shrugged. “Well, whenever I see someone in distress, I just ask myself, _'what would Ladybug do?'_ and everything usually turns out alright.” He looked at her for a long moment, a sweet, familiar warmth filling his eyes. 

Touched as much as she was confused by Chat's words, Ladybug fought against the butterflies in her stomach as she watched him turn back and vault across the rooftops. Then she swung her yo-yo in the opposite direction. 

* * * 

Ladybug and Chat Noir dropped all pretenses as they ran straight into each other. 

“He's gone!” Ladybug panted. 

“She's gone too!” Chat Noir gripped her hands like a vice.

Ladybug looked like she was on the verge of tears. “Okay,” she breathed, talking more to herself than to him, “it's okay.” She reached for her earrings. 

Chat's eyes went wide and he pulled her hands away from her ears. “Ladybug, what are you doing?” 

Ladybug looked at him hopelessly. “Might as well get it overwith,” she said bitterly, “we're going to find him; we need to. And then it's only a matter of time until you figure out who I am.”

Chat shook his head, keeping a tight grip on her hands. “Why does it matter so much to you, finding him? If he's akumatized he'll be okay in the end. We fight him, we win, you capture the akuma, he doesn't remember a thing. Is preventing that really worth showing me your identity?” 

“That's the thing, Chat Noir. I _can't_ fight him. I can't bring myself to hurt him, even for a little while. Hawkmoth will _win._ I'll ruin everything.” 

Letting go of Ladybug's hands, Chat Noir let her words sink in. She really seemed to care about this guy and Chat couldn't help but resent him. This Random McPerfectface seemed to mean much more to her than him. But what about her feelings for Adrien? She had kissed him. Twice, technically. Was it just a fleeting moment for her? Did she ever think about that night? Chat couldn't stop thinking about it. But clearly it meant nothing to her. 

“Let's not go there just yet, bugaboo,” Chat said, pretending like he wasn't having an internal meltdown. “We can look for them without revealing anything. Maybe we just need two sets of eyes on the city. Come on, let's get started.” 

* * * 

“This isn't working,” Chat Noir sighed. It had been over an hour that the pair of heroes had been jumping from rooftop to rooftop, furiously scanning the crowds below for their missing classmates. 

“It's not.” Ladybug nodded ruefully. She was tense, for they were pretty close to her house. She had slowly led them this way so she could keep an eye on the school and Chat seemed more than willing to follow her lead. Adrien's schedule didn't place him at the school at this hour, but after searching for this long, she couldn't be sure he wasn't there. Ladybug fumed at the idea of him staying late at the library, studying with Lila or some other pretty girl. 

“You hungry?” Chat asked. 

As if on cue, Ladybug's stomach growled. She nodded. 

“Great,” Chat said. “There's a great bakery right across the--” 

“No.”

“But--” 

“No.” 

“Okay, then,” Chat said, utterly confused. He was hoping to ask Marinette's parents about her while Ladybug was distracted in the bakery, but it seemed like she really didn't want to go in there. He wondered why. The only times he could recall her ever being there was when they lured Ani-Man there and when they sneaked into Marinette's room to steal her dolls from the Puppeteer, and both times Marinette had been absent. He wondered if she had an issue with Marinette like she did with Chloe. That would explain why she didn't show up when he and Marinette had fought the Evillustrator. Come to think of it, he couldn't recall a time when he had seen Ladybug and Marinette in the same place at all, except when Timebreaker pulled Ladybug back in time on the day of Alix and Kim's race. _Wow, they must really hate each other,_ he thought, though he couldn't fathom a reason why anyone would hate either girl.

“Why don't we try something down that way?” Ladybug broke into his thoughts, pointing down another street in the opposite direction of Marinette's house. 

Chat Noir cast a sad final glance at the bakery before looking in the direction Ladybug was pointing. About halfway up the street was a gigantic billboard with the face of none other than Adrien Agreste plastered on it. 

“We can't go that way, milady,” he said firmly. 

“And why not?” Ladybug asked. She was hoping to bring him closer to Adrien's billboard to subtly hint to Chat Noir what they were looking for. 

“Just can't.” 

“Ooooookay,” Ladybug replied. “What about that way?” 

Chat Noir followed her line of sight in the direction of his own house. Granted, he couldn't see it from here, but he knew that if they kept going that way they would run into the Agreste Mansion sooner rather than later. 

He shook his head. 

“Well, we have to do something,” Ladybug said in an irritated tone as she sat down on the rooftop. It was after dark but not terribly late. The streets of Paris were still bustling with activity, but it wouldn't last forever. 

“Black hair.” 

“What?” 

Chat shrugged. “We've been looking for these people for a while, but we've given each other nothing to go on. She has black hair.” 

Ladybug gave Chat Noir a long look. “Blond,” she said finally. 

“Is that him?” Chat asked, pointing at slightly older boy with spiked blond hair on the street below. 

“No, he's younger than that. Is that her?” Ladybug replied, gesturing to a tall, curvy, black-haired girl whose hair fell down to her waist. 

“No, she looks nothing like that,” Chat gave Ladybug a cheeky grin. 

He offered her his hand and helped her to her feet. The pair silently dropped to the street and stuck to the shadows so they wouldn't be spotted. They headed in the direction of the Trocadéro, scanning the crowds as they went. 

“Green eyes,” Ladybug said quietly after a long silence. 

“Blue,” Chat replied. 

They walked in laser focused silence until they reached the steps of the Trocadéro, occasionally pointing out someone who fit their vague descriptions, but surprisingly enough neither mysterious classmate could be found. They sat down together on the steps and looked up at the Eiffel tower. 

“She lied to me this morning,” Chat admitted. Ladybug gave him a questioning look. “Last night, after we split up, I went to her house and watched through her window to make sure she got home safe. She never did. That's why I was so tired today.” 

Ladybug didn't know how to respond to that. She and Chat had had the same idea last night, watching through their classmates' windows to make sure they got home safe. And yet, still managed to see them this morning. She hated to admit it, but perhaps the two were of the same mind despite all their differences. Knowing that he did that made her feel closer to her leather clad partner.

“I come here sometimes,” Ladybug confessed with a newfound willingness to let him into her world. It was one of the first unnecessary things she had ever told him about her real life. “It helps me find inspiration.” 

“Adorable,” Chat murmured. 

“What was that?” Ladybug looked up at him, confused. 

“Um... my classmate. She's adorable. Keep an eye out.” 

Ladybug nodded. She smiled at the thought of Chat Noir going to school like a regular kid, concealing a secret just like hers but still finding time to think his classmates were adorable. So why did her insides feel a pang of... was that jealousy? Ladybug shook her head. That was impossible. Besides, she had Adrien. Well, she did if she didn't already completely mess that up. 

“Dreamy,” she breathed, the thought of Adrien bringing the words to her lips. 

Chat's eyes were downcast. “You really love this guy, don't you?” 

Ladybug shrugged, a little embarrassed to be talking about her crush on Adrien with Chat Noir. 

“Does...” Chat paused, unsure if he really wanted to know the answer to his question, “does he feel the same?” 

“Not the way I want him to,” Ladybug sighed, resting her head on Chat's shoulder. 

_Not like this..._

Chat looked down at Ladybug curiously, and everything seemed to click into place. It wasn't improbable that _he_ could be the one she was talking about. But that would mean... 

“What about her?” Ladybug asked idly. 

Chat stood up and walked to the railing, the lights from the Eiffel tower brightening his already-glowing green eyes. He heard Ladybug's soft footsteps coming up beside him and he took a deep breath. What he was about to say would either be seen as extremely reckless or a small mistake. He secretly hoped it would be the former. 

He babbled: “Well, Marinette is amazing and everything and I'm not going to lie, I've definitely thought about it. I do try to impress her a lot and maybe if it weren't for you--” 

Pure shock was written on Ladybug's face. Chat tried not to process what this all meant. “Hey, what's with the face?” he asked. 

“Marinette... Dupain-Cheng?” Ladybug said, her voice barely more than a whisper. 

Chat nodded, his heart filling with joy. “Why, do you know her?” 

Ladybug nodded tensely. “And you're in the same class?” 

“Yeah, why?” he asked, trying to act casual. He didn't know anything yet. Not for sure. 

“Tikki, spots off.” 

As fast as lightning, Chat spun around and faced away from Ladybug. Now that the truth was within his reach, he realized all the reasons why he shouldn't have it. Ladybug didn't want to know. Their kwamis told them to keep their identities a secret. This may complicate things. 

“It's okay Chat, you can turn around.” 

Chat shook his head, keeping Ladybug – or whoever she was – directly behind him. “No can do, milady. I'll turn around when you transform back.” 

Chat heard a sharp inhalation of breath. 

“Adrien, turn around.” 

Chat Noir turned slowly and deliberately, giving her ample time to transform or escape if she changed her mind. Just because they knew didn't mean they had to _know._ Or maybe it did. Blood rushed in his ears. 

“Hi,” Marinette waved at him when he was finally fully facing her. 

There was a million things Chat Noir wanted to say. _How could I be so stupid? I'm so happy it's you. Do you feel the same way, after knowing who I am?_ But all he could bring himself to say was, “where were you last night?” 

“Same as you, watching out for someone I deeply care about,” Marinette laughed, and he savored the sweet sound of her voice.

Chat Noir closed the distance between them and firmly pressed his lips to hers. They stayed like that for a minute, finally getting the kiss they should have shared two nights ago. 

Chat Noir broke the kiss abruptly, just long enough to detransform. After the blinding light subsided, Adrien stood before Marinette. 

“Wow,” Marinette breathed. 

“I know,” Adrien sighed. Marinette punched him in the shoulder. 

“So...” Marinette asked, “now what?” 

Adrien shrugged. “I guess we'll have to figure that out one day at a time, my lady.” 

“I'm okay with that,” Marinette said, “as long as I get to figure it out with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I had so much fun writing this and I appreciate your responses so much. With love, TheRedArmada


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